The BBC this week revealed a deal with Adobe under which its catch-up TV iPlayer service will move to use Adobe Flash in order to provide a streaming service to all platforms.

However, only Windows users would be able to download BBC shows to their computer to watch offline for a limited period. Mac and Linux users would not be supported - and initial statements from the public funded broadcaster were grim.

The BBC's director of future media and technology Ashley Highfield said: "We need to get the streaming service up and look at the ratio of consumption between the services and then we need to look long and hard at whether we build a download service for Mac and Linux. It comes down to cost per person and reach at the end of the day."

But the BBC Trust (the governing body of the BBC) last night repeated its insistence on platform neutrality - meaning the broadcaster must ensure its shows are downloadable by any user, regardless of platform.